The great bandleader Sid Ramin lays down some goofy orchestrations as a background for John Klein's even goofier showcase of bells. According to the notes, he's got 1,453 of them, and they ring out lound and clear on things like "Jalousie", "Harbor Lights", and "In the Still of the Night". We're not sure if it's really the "sound America loves best", but it's still pretty goofy. LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks by Sid Ramin, Dick Schory, Marty Gold, Arthur Fielder, Fritz Reiner, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

JT Lewis on drums, Melvin Gibbs on bass, and Brandon Ross on guitar joind by Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet. CD

The classic first solo album by Big L – with bedrock DITC production by Buckwild, Showbiz and Lord Finesse – perfectly framing the rhymes by Harlem's finest. Big L didn't leave a huge wealth of recordings before he was taking away from the world, but he started out strong, and this benchmark effort makes a pretty solid testament to his legacy. Alongside some of the period QB hip hop, this one is pretty close to the pinnacle of streetwise east coast 90s hip hop. 12 tracks in all: "Put It On", "MVP", "No Endz, No Skinz", "8 Iz Enuff", "All Black", "Danger Zone", "Street Struck", "Da Graveyard", "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous", "I Don't Understand It, "Fed Up Wit The Bullsh#t", and "Let 'Em Have It L". CD